THE National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s top legislature, Thursday adopted a decision on improving the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in a move to fix the loopholes in local governance.

The decision was passed by an overwhelming majority vote at the closing of the fourth session of the 13th NPC.

The electoral system of the HKSAR, which includes the methods for the selection of the chief executive and for the formation of the Legislative Council (LegCo), is an important part of the political structure of the HKSAR, according to the session.

The electoral system should conform to the policy of “one country, two systems,” meet the realities in the HKSAR and serve to ensure that Hong Kong is administered by people who love the country and love Hong Kong, according to the session.

The electoral system should be conducive to safeguarding China’s national sovereignty, security and development interests, and help maintain the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, according to the session.

The NPC made the decision for the purpose of improving the electoral system of the HKSAR and developing a democratic system suited to the HKSAR’s realities, in accordance with China’s Constitution, the HKSAR Basic Law and the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR.

The decision came up with detailed measures, which include expanding the scope of candidates to make local elections more representative and setting up a high-level vetting committee to ensure candidates meet the principle of “patriots governing Hong Kong” — a fundamental baseline set by Chinese top officials on Hong Kong affairs.

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